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IT IS DAY— The first of the third mouth. Coii- 
cobar comes from a potential state into new 
life. The truths and secrets of ocean, earth, 
firmament give constant interest; creatures of 
water, wood, air, much pleasure; sunshine, rain, 
snow, equal value and delight — for, what in Na- 
ture is not good? At times he climbs the mount- 
ains, hunts the forests, fishes the streams — takes 
from the storms their energy and reads tidings 
in the heights. 



Cw^/>rv-«r^- ^^ CV^s.^-^JK ^ 



''OUR HOUSE 
OF JACK'' 



BY 



CONCOBAR 



A/i^A-l 






Author of 
**OLD MAN THOMPSON", 
ONY— Of the Mountains ' ', Etc. 





OOPYRiaHT, 1013, 

By DA^NIEIL. p. CONNOK, 
ma.xose3stb2r, n. h. 



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yX IS REFLECTION. Concobar 
^ lingers in its light — sees life's 
attitudes and disciplines in higher 
expression and truer value. 

DANIEL P. CONNOR, '94 
Man Chester, N. H. 



(e;C!.A3.')04l9 




"Our House of Jack" 

AN resides by the side of life's 
road so each trail leads to our 
shack in the mountains. 

It may present childhood fancies or form 
the basis of serious common purpose, study, 
wonder — for individual experience squares 
and human kind comes to this house in the 
heights. 

The question, then, is not so much 
where, or by whom, as how it is built, becau- 
se everyone is of another's being. 

In a sense it associates us with; a bright 
September day; a first tramp of Mount 
Washington; a path which is half retraced; 
a trip ending in the path which divides the 
two highest ranges. 

Why mention the rugged pioneer whose 
name the notch honors — enough that he 
lives, even as you and I. 

There is, however, play of place. 
Mounts Willard, Webster, Avalon, Field 
and Jackson cast an imposing background 
o'erthescene. Light and change give a love- 
ly setting, while, nestling beneath massive 



Folio 4] **The House oe Jack 

outline stands the crude effort toward spe- 
cial expression, identity and comfort — fig- 
uring the significance of each on all the 
by-ways of the past. 

Let us call it home — be it ever so 
humble' '. 

Now, there is another story, 



n Ljite 

O ME thirty-five years previous to 191 2, 
a stalwart fellow appears among the 
good people of the charming mountain 
hamlet, known as 'The Twin". He is 
tall, athletic, handsome; of its folk, yet 
— different. 

They tolerate the stranger, although his 
custom is to invariably walk in the middle 
of the road, constantly wear a fur cap and 
do other odd things. Around the new 
comer are woven tales of fear and favor. 
Still the genius back of queer action usually 
finds return in proportion to the amount of 
intelligent aim. Take one point of view 
with a maximum of five thousand, and 
at his death, fourteen hundred dollars in 
the bank. The money getting praises tour- 



'Our House of Jack [Fo] 



iO 



its generosity and pictures a dual phase 
involving nature's toeing and depicting his 
regular spring and fall pilgrimages from 
Twin Mountain to "The Ship", a distance 
of only nine miles. 

This fact means little or much accord- 
ing to the varying standards of duty and 
pleasure — They introduce a toast. 

"Here is: 

"May the blessings of Nature ever wait 
upon you; may the sun of glory ever shine 
around your head; may the gates of plenty, 
peace, honor and happiness be always open 
to you; may no sorrow disturb your days 
and no strife your nights, but let the pillow 
of peace kiss your cheeks and the pleasures 
of imagination attend your dreams. And 
when length of years shall make you tired of 
these earthly joys and the curtain of death 
gently closes around your earthly existence, 
may the angels of God attend and take care 
that the expiring lamp of life receives not 
one rude blast to hasten its extinction" 

The final thought holds the beautiful in 
the sad. Does not the grave keep alive 
the tenderest and grandest emotions ^ 



Folio 6] "Our House of Jack" 

Around it there is neither age nor time, save 
eternal charm and the everlasting fondness 
of the present. So we are a part of every 
period beyond and even now akin to two 
persons. 

The romance links us to a great, great 
city — across the ocean; a faith that is true; 
a loyalty that is rare-immortal. 

The woman is Mary. The spell that 
of childhood. 

An orphan lad of twelve, with a troubled 
heart yearning to a call of the deep, meets 
a tot of his own age— lost, hungry and in 
tears. 

At once there is a chivalrous interest 
and, after changing his "last coin in the 
world to buy her food", is guiding his tiny 
comrade with hope — but close to a hidden 
conflict. 

Soon they are accideljpiy found by a par- 
ent— who delights over his little daughter's 
safety. 

In short the boy and girl become fast 
friends — noble affection adds to the sum of 
the world's love. 

Youthful ambition is directly appeased. 



"Our House of Jack" [Folio 7 

the boy is taken to sea and its service in the 
employ of "Captain Bill" — the girl's fa- 
ther. 

Eight years are spent in this occupation 
— many long cruises being taken. On one 
they are ship-wrecked in the Indian Ocean. 
Out of a crew of forty-two men he is one 
of thirteen saved. With the others he is 
marooned on an island — "scarcely a mile 
from shore to shore" — living on mussels, 
crabs, limpets, frogs, snakes and such food 
for nineteen months. 

At the end of this time, when all but 
three of the crowd are dead, they are res- 
cued by an American vessel — driven from 
its course by a storm. 

Of the number he is the only one to sur- 
vive the awful ordeal and report to the own- 
ers of the vessel — "who treat me kindly 
and give me full pay". In the meantime 
the girl's mother has passed away from 
worry and want. 

Then the young folks are engaged to be 
married, after the next voyage — in a year' ' . 
Fate destines otherwise for Mary dies a 
month before he lands from this trip. 



Folio 8] "Our House OF Jack" 

The shock left him unconcious for weeks 
and an hospital patient for over a year. 

On recovering his health he joins the 
navy — hoping to secure a fatal wound in 
cold, murderous strife. He fights in Africa 
— for the slaves; goes with Inglefield in 
search of John Franklin-the Artie explorer; 
serves in the Crimean war and assists in put- 
ting down the mutiny in India. Yet he 
lives on, seems immune from danger — 
"the deepest sear is on my heart". 

A soul's test seeks appreciation in the 
feelings and shadows of consequent trial; 
but it still seals the sacred silence of a vow. 

This forces him from his boyhood haunts 
— converts him into an exile, a man of 
moods, "the hermit of the White Mount- 
ains". 

Realizing his state our entertainment 
happens upon the history, attrations and 
consolations of the heights. 

Work draws him into the White Mount- 
ains about 1874 and he erects his camp in 
the late seventies or 1880. 

The abode becomes the object of cu- 
rious attention — even the animal world pays 



"Our House of Jack [Folio 9 

tribute and receives admirable reward. 

A deer lingers about the dwelling for 
years. She is a free agent and chews to- 
bacco. Another feature of his managerie 
is a bear — captured when a cub and raised 
as a pet. One day the creature's wild 
breeding asserts itself and he tries to kill 
his master; but is dispatched at once-with 
an axe. 

In the boundless yard is found an aquar- 
ium of trout— revealing the influence of 
environment. 

Theory offers an awakening — there ap- 
pears incident. 

"Many years ago, when I lived at 'The 
Twin', my oldest boy became afflicted 
with a running sore on one of his limbs. 
It grew worse and the doctor decided that 
the foot must be *cut off'. Of course the 
family did not take kindly to this idea and 
sent for the recluse. Every day the latter 
journeyed down from the Mountain, wash- 
ed, treated and bandaged the affected part. 
After two months the leg was entirely bet- 
ter — sound as ever". With this may be 
recorded many other good acts. The pur- 



Folio 10] *'OuR House OF Jack" 

chase of a horse for some neighbor — short 
of the '\vherewith". Five's and ten's to 
men, women and children. Even a fifty 
dollar note, slipped into the hand of a favor- 
ite "youngster" at the railroad station — 
the farew^ell to a superior brood, facing a 
nevs^ field and the uncertain struggle of the 
west. The going suggests the coming — the 
recurring show of the seasons. Visitors — 
fashionable, foolish and fine — land at the 
rude, rustic hut from hotels galore. 

They are met by the moods of the hour, 
products of his head and hands, a treat or, 
maybe, this substitute tale of the past: 



"You've asked fer my story, but I haint 

[much on talk — 
Livin' away from all sounds but th' tick of the 

[clock 
Or the 'casional fall of a stick or a stun, 
Or a rabbit or squirrel or deer on the run 

Wal, I've lived on Mount Willard more'n 

[thutty-two years; 
I b'lieve I wus fifty when I fust landed here, 
Which, 'cording to 'rithmetic, makes me just 

[eighty-two, 
But I don't hardly think I look it — d'you? 




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'Our House of Jack [Folio 11 



Yes, I followed the sea fer some years, till 

[one day 

We wrecked on an island in the Bay of Biscay; 

The rest of the crew soon jined Davy Jones, 

But I wiiz picked up with some breath in 

[m' bones, 

Ey a whaler thet happened along from the 

[west 

And spied me a-waggin' m'cardigan vest, 

Fer a sign o'distress to try and induce 

Some ship to deport me — a la Robinson Cruse. 

On tlifit honery island food wuz powerful 

[skurce — 

It could easy be better but it couldn't been 

[worse; 

Fer bread Vv'e chewed berries, and as fer our 

[meat 

We had only snakes, frogs and lizards to eat. 

Not one mother's son of us wuz what you'd 

[call stout, 

And there wa'n't nary one that wuz troubled 

[with gout; 

Fact, there wuz no one 'cept me thet managed 

[at all— 

Who outlived his diet of critters thet crawl. 

But the whaler that saved me from starvation 

[fates 

Ivanded me penniless — after — here in the 

[States; 

But I got a job helpiu' 'em spike down the trail 

That foUers the Crawford Notch Indian Trail. 



Folio 12] *'OuR House of Jack" 

When they finished their railroad I fifjured 

[I'd steer 

Fer permanent moorin's in the mountains 

[round here, 

So I built this 'ere cabin — such as she are — 

And I'll stick to the ship 'till I drift 'cross 

[the Bar. 

Lonesome, y' say? Wal, mabbe it is, 

If you'er lookin fer neighbors who know all 

[yer "biz" 

And borry yer tools and half of yer grub, 

And then run ye down for a "stingy old cub". 

But while it's some lonesome, I'm satisfied yet 

Thet it's better'n a hair — pullin' set-to — 

[you bet. 

For life, to my thinkin', is somewhat of a 

[cross 

When ther's two candidates fer office of 

[Boss" ! 

''LONESOME LIFE'\ 



Wandering from rhyme and its reason 
we feel the mystery and try to understand 
our counter existence. Thoughts revert 
to fundementals, where the imagination 
may grieve, but again we find ourselves on 
the broad high-way. Here we start anew, 
through the paths of work and friendship, 
to a grave. Not a single relative follows 




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"Our House of Jack" [Folio 13 

him hence — representatives of a great, kind- 
hearted stock, bearing him tenderly to his 
last rest. 

There is a luster of gold on the mount- 
ains, which tinges a Celtic cross* of snow 
on the west face of Mount Washington — 
a credit to such beautiful action and an 
artistic monument to the first white con- 
queror of the peaks' monarch. 

The evening light deepens. It is night, 
hut to-morrow — dawn. 

Our privilege it is to look out over the 
sunrise and listen to the echoes born of its 
faith, goodness, beauty. 

"What of the subject and yesterday".? 
you ask. 

Well, there is the human with the 
scientific life of nature. Who is capable 
of judging how near each comes to harmon- 

*At right focal distances aud uuder proper 
natural conditions, a perfect Celtic cross of 
snow may be seen, resting just above the high- 
est ravine on the western slope of the Presi- 
dential Range. 

As far as he knows, or can learn, the author 
is the first person to observe this phenomenon 
— noticed by liim from Bethlehem, N. H. 

After the lingering spring, or the early snow 
storms of fall, the cross appears at its best. 



Folio 14] "Our House OF Jack" 

izing the circumstances of life with the ideals 
we set and find within ourselves? 

Sacrifice is the greatest service; love is 
the highest freedom. 

Then there are other things which go 
to make a summer that never dies. 

These facts and lessons lead us to — also 
away from— OUR HOUSE OF JACK. 



"It may interest you to know that my En- 
glish Class memorized and explained, to the 
best of their several abilities, the little para- 
graph condensing and revealing the many 
truths, pleasures and benefits of all creation : 
"For, what in Nature is not good" ? — A Teach- 
er, New Hampshire — 191 1. 

"If teachers everywhere would take the 
question's negative infinity and develop its 
positive value, as you have beautifully done, 
and the fact be aided by a system to promote 
its end indefinitely, the world would become, 
in time, a paradise of enlightment, peace, 
plenty, instead of a prison of truth. You sense 
a point of view, namely, that science is the 
wisdom of Nature in its infancy. 

The Author 



"Your little books have been read earnestly. 
They do what many larger ones do not — give 
the reader food for thought. 

M. I. M.— B. A., M. A. 

Columbia University, 

New York City. 




JOHN ALFRED VIAL 

February 1822 April 1912 

"JACK" 

"The Hermit Of The White Mountains". 



DEC 26 1912 



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